A known mud-flap attachment device of the present nature (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,262) is used for the clamping attachment of a mud-flap to a fender fold. The mud-flap is substantially universally usable and has a main flap body and an adapter protrusion lying in essentially the same plane as the main body. A clamp is used to secure the flap to a fender fold, and the clamp consists of an oblong first clamping part and a correspondingly shaped oblong second clamping part. These parts are connected to each other by at least two screws set apart from one another. The continuous sides of the clamp form the clamp opening which runs parallel to a theoretical line passing through the two screws, so that when clamped to the fender fold, a firm engagement of the clamping part with the inside of the fender fold and the mud-flap is achieved. In practice, however, it has been found that such a clamp is frequently not suitable for the application of clamping forces sufficient to hold the mud-flap firmly and securely to the fender fold.
Moreover, when the fender folds are of certain shapes, particularly when the angled edge of the fender fold or its free edge which points toward the middle of the vehicle is at a very steep angle and sometimes almost vertical, it can be difficult to bring the entire side of the clamping parts forming the clamping opening into contact with the angled edge or fender fold. This is because the clamp can be brought to correct alignment with the mud-flap only up to the point where the two screws lie against the inner edge of the adapter protrusion of the mud-flap. The shape of the angled edge or fender fold at this point deviates so greatly from the shape of the inner edge of the adapter protrusion of the aligned mud-flap that the angled edge or fender fold is outside of the clamp in the lower region thereof. In this case, the clamping forces that can be applied by only the upper region of the clamp are insufficient, by far, for securely connecting the mud-flap to the angled edge or fender fold, and the mud-flap may be dislodged from the fender fold, especially when the car is running.
It is the object of the invention to provide a mud-flap attachment device which may be in the form of only one clamp and yet enables the mud-flap to be securely attached to the angled edge or fender fold, even when the latter has an unusual shape. Thus, the flap and clamp can be used universally.